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Introduction: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a zoonosis with worldwide distribution, mainly in the northern hemisphere countries with predominantly cutaneous, articular, cardiac and neuro-psychiatric manifestations. The greater variety of genospecies that cause disease in Europe and the complex laboratory confirmation contribute to the disease underdiagnose in Portugal. Case description: A 17-year-old boy resident in a rural area, with a history of recurrent tonsillitis, initiates cervical pain, odynophagia and fever (39ºC). Blood work showed leukocytosis (11280/uL) and neutrophilia (8569/uL) and CRP 23.6mg/L. Oropharynx antigen screening for SGA and EBV antibodies were negatives but he was discharged with amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The next day (7th day of disease) he kept fever (38.3°C), initiated a pruritic maculopapular rash on the face, trunk and limbs with palmoplantar involvement and started complaining of thoracic pain that worsened with decubitus. Blood work revaluation indicated increased leukocytosis (14640/uL) and neutrophilia (11040/uL), CRP 142mg/L, VHS 22mm/h. Chest x-ray had a discreet broncho-hilar reinforcement without pleural effusion or cardiomegaly. Electrocardiogram (EKG) in sinus rhythm, with mild infra ST in DIII and aVF, inverted T wave in V1 and V4 and early repolarization pattern in V2-V3. Due to an episode of tachycardia (270 bpm), cardiac markers were accessed and showed troponin 13932pg/mL, CK 436U/L and BNP 373pg/mL, echocardiography showed slight global left ventricular dysfunction and hyperechogenic pericardium without effusion. He was admitted with clindamycin and penicillin and started anti-congestive therapy with carvedilol and enalapril. On the 10th day of disease, of the etiology investigation it was identified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. IgM antibodies positive (53 UA/mL), IgG antibodies negative with confirmatory test-immunoblot IgM positive with bands OspC Bg, p39, p41. Antibiotic therapy was changed to ceftriaxone and doxycycline which he complied with for 8 and 7 days, respectively. On the 20th day of disease cardiac magnetic resonance showed active inflammatory process in the myocardium, but undilated ventricles with preserved global systolic function. Progressive improvement of cardiac markers was noticed, currently with good ventricular function and at the last observation he was asymptomatic from the cardiovascular point of view. Conclusions: LB with myocarditis is a rarity in pediatrics and diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. When LB cardiac involvement is readily recognized and treated serious complications can be avoided N/A

Hyalomma aegyptium is the most common tick species infesting tortoises in the Palearctic. Although larvae and nymphs of these ticks feed on different animal groups, adults of H. aegyptium are highly specific to Testudo. Hyalomma are also carriers of various microorganisms, including pathogens. In this symposium we present the results of two studies on Hyalomma ticks infesting Testudo from North Africa and Turkey. In the first, we analysed the genetic diversity of Hyalomma, and assessed whether the genetic patterns of the ticks matched the ones of the Testudo hosts. We identified two main genetic groups of H. aegyptium with no clear geographical structure. We believe that the existence of alternative hosts or the pet trade may explain some of these results. In the second study, we aimed to detect the presence of microorganisms and potential pathogens in H. aegyptium. The molecular screening detected the following parasites: Hemolivia mauritanica, Ehrlichia sp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, relapsing fever Borrelia, Francisella sp. and the microorganisms Candidatus Midichlora mitochondrii and Wolbachia sp. Despite the low prevalence of human pathogenic agents, these results highlight the potential consequences of the pet trade on disease emergence and the dispersion of pathogens and other microorganisms N/A

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) is a tick-borne zoonotic agent maintained in enzootic cycles in nature by vertebrate reservoir hosts, including mammals, lizards and birds. To understand the eco-epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis it is necessary to evaluate the relationships between Borrelia genospecies and vertebrate reservoir hosts. We surveyed Borrelia infection prevalence in avian hosts and using wild birds as models, we assessed the physiological impact of infection in reservoir hosts and how exposure to stress could affect hosts’ infectivity to vector ticks. This helps to understand how these host-parasite interactions may affect tick-borne zoonotic agents’ circulation and transmission, and, ultimately, disease risk. Thrushes (Turdus spp.) were the most important birds in the enzootic cycle of Borrelia. The diversity of Borrelia genospecies detected in ticks feeding on birds was high, and the most common genospecies was B. garinii, a pathogenic genospecies. The ubiquitous blackbird Turdus merula successfully transmitted B. turdi, B. valaisiana and B. burgdorferi s.s. to vector ticks in laboratory conditions. There was no evidence that exposure to stress increased infectivity of wild avian hosts to vector ticks in an experiment performed in captivity. However, oxidative balance (protein carbonyls and glutathione peroxidase levels) of naïve blackbirds was affected by experimental infection with Borrelia, suggesting that these bacteria may inflict non-negligible physiological harm on its natural reservoir hosts with potential impact on transmission success. N/A

In Portugal, the potent paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) have appeared irregularly since the onset of a national monitoring program for marine biotoxins in 1986. In years where high contamination levels were attained in bivalves, sporadic cases of human poisonings have been recorded, as in 1994 and 2007. The reappearance of high contamination levels led to the appearance of new cases during the autumn of 2018. This study reports the case of two patients that ingested mussels from the Portuguese southwest coast and required hospitalization due to the severity of symptoms. Details of toxin ingestion, symptomatology and toxin metabolization in the fluids are described. The diagnosis was confirmed by ELISA in plasma and urine samples. In mussel samples, the toxin profile obtained by HPLC-FLD displayed a wide diversity of toxins, typical of Gymnodinum catenatum ingestion. However, in the urine samples toxin profile was reduced to B1 and dcSTX. Abundant compounds in mussels having an O-sulfate at C11, such as C1+2 and dcGTX2+3, were absent in urine. In plasma, PSTs were not detected by HPLC-FLD. Calculated toxin ingestion, resulting from consumption of an estimated 200-gram portion, was in the range of 104-120 µg STX eq./kg b.w. This study alerts physicians to be aware of this human syndrome with only sporadic occurrence in Portugal. N/A

Tularaemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacterium. Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, or through arthropod vectors. The disease has a broad geographical distribution; in Europe, recent outbreaks have been reported in Sweden, Hungary and Spain. In Portugal, F. tularensis subsp. holarctica was already detected in different tick species, lagomorphs and was also reported a ulceroglandular form of tularemia but with imported origin. Here we report the first notified case of autochthonous tularaemia in Portugal. N/A

Kikuchi Fujimoto’s disease (KFD) or histiocytic lymphadenitis is especially rare in paediatrics. Although it is a self-limited and benign disease, its differential diagnose is vast including lymphoma, various infections and autoimmune diseases. N/A

A raiva (RABV) é uma doença zoonótica causada pelo vírus do género Lyssavirus. Tanto a RABV animal como a humana são evitáveis pela vacinação. A vacinação préexposição é indicada a indivíduos que viajem para áreas geográficas de risco, para profissionais que manipulem o vírus ou que tenham contacto com animais potencialmente infetados. O esquema de vacinação pré-exposição inclui três doses. No entanto, caso se mantenha o risco de exposição é aconselhada uma avaliação dos anticorpos IgG anti-RABV a cada seis meses. Se o título de anticorpos for inferior a 0,5IU/ml é recomendado um reforço com uma dose da vacina. Desde 2018, o INSA tem disponível a quantificação de anticorpos IgG anti-RABV em amostras humanas, tendo sido até ao momento analisados 12 soros provenientes de profissionais de saúde e viajantes. Pelos valores determinados verificou-se que em dez indivíduos com vacinação completa a vacinação foi eficaz. Contudo, em dois destes casos, a concentração de anticorpos foi perto do limite inferior o que indicia um possível reforço da vacina na próxima avaliação. Outros dois indivíduos tinham esquema vacinal incompleto, resultando numa concentração de anticorpos que não evidencia seroconversão. Estes resultados revelam a importância da quantificação de anticorpos IgG anti-RABV, pois permite verificar a eficácia da vacinação e, consequentemente, a necessidade de reforço, evitando assim administrações desnecessárias N/A

Avian hosts can act as reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), a bacterial complex that includes the etiologic agents of Lyme borreliosis. It is relevant to evaluate the infection status of the bird species to elucidate their importance as reservoir hosts, because not all contribute equally to the maintenance of Borrelia. There is a lack of a reliable non-invasive technique that allows us to assess the infection status of B. burgdorferi s.l. in wildlife. Thus, the main goal of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of biological samples such as blood and skin biopsies from two avian model species, Turdus merula and Erithacus rubecula, to diagnose B. burgdorferi s.l. infection and give information on their infectivity to ticks. Blood and skin tissues were collected from 16 Erithacus rubecula and 10 Turdus merula captured in Borrelia enzootic areas. These birds were taken into captivity and subjected to xenodiagnoses. DNA was extracted from blood and skin samples and from the fed xenodiagnostic larvae, and analysed for B. burgdorferi s.l. infection by real-time PCR directed to the flaB gene. Sensitivity of these approaches to evaluate host’s infection status will be compared and will help to elucidate B. burgdorferi s.l tropism in the birds’ organism. N/A

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) é o agente etiológico da borreliose de Lyme (BL), uma das doenças transmitidas por carraças com maior impacto em Portugal. No Homem, B. lusitaniae está inequivocamente associada a causar doença no Homem, com dois casos clínicos reportados. N/A

A tularémia é uma zoonose causada pela bactéria Francisella tularensis, que se transmite ao homem por contacto directo com animais infectados, artrópodes, ar, água ou alimentos contaminados. Apesar de ser pouco frequente na Europa, têm sido notificados surtos recentes (Espanha,França,Escandinávia,Balcãs e Hungria) e casos esporádicos (Áustria,Itália e Reino Unido). Em Portugal, F. tularensis subsp. holarctica foi detectada pela primeira vez em 2007. A F. tularensis pode infetar o homem através da pele, inalação, mucosas e via gastrointestinal. O estabelecimento desta infeção depende da porta de entrada e do número de organismos. As principais apresentações de doença incluem as formas ulceroglandular, glandular, oculoglandular, orofaríngea, pneumónica e tífica. N/A

Ticks collected from humans within the framework of the Portuguese National Vector Surveillance National Program (REVIVE). N/A

Lyme borreliosis, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., is the most prevalent vector-borne disease of moderate climates of the northern hemisfere. In Portugal, several Borrelia genospecies are present in questing ticks, which have different associations with vertebrate reservoir hosts and Lyme borreliosis etiology. To better understand disease risk it is necessary to evaluate the relationships among Borrelia genospecies, their tick vectors and vertebrate reservoir hosts. N/A

The principal European vector for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., the causative agents of Lyme disease, is the host-generalist tick Ixodes ricinus. Almost all terrestrial host-specialist ticks have been supposed not to contribute to the terrestrial Borrelia transmission cycles. Through an experiment with blackbirds, we show successful transmission by the widespread I. frontalis, an abundant bird-specialized tick that infests a broad range of songbirds. In the first phase of the experiment, we obtained Borrelia-infected I. frontalis (infection rate: 19%) and I. ricinus (17%) nymphs by exposing larvae to wild blackbirds that carried several genospecies (Borrelia turdi, B. valaisiana, B. burgdorferi s.s.). In the second phase, pathogen-free blackbirds were exposed to these infected nymphs. Both tick species were able to infect the birds, as indicated by the analysis of xenodiagnostic I. ricinus larvae which provided evidence for both co-feeding and systemic transmission (infection rates: 10%-60%). Ixodes frontalis was shown to transmit B. turdi spirochetes, while I. ricinus transmitted both B. turdi and B. valaisiana. Neither species transmitted B. burgdorferi s.s. European enzootic cycles of Borrelia between songbirds and their ornithophilic ticks do exist, with I. ricinus potentially acting as a bridging vector towards mammals, including man. This research was supported by the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders Belgium (grant G0.049.10) and the University of Antwerp (KP BOF UA 2015). The molecular work was done under the frame of COST action TD1303 EurNegVec. Dieter Heylen is a postdoctoral fellow at the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders Belgium (FWO). This study received some financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia by the strategic program of MARE (MARE - UID/MAR/04292/2013) and the fellowships to Ana Claudia Norte (SFRH/BPD/108197/2015 and SFRH/BPD/62898/2009). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introdução e objetivos: A doença de Lyme é uma entidade rara na idade pediátrica, causada por espiroquetas do complexo Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Pode afetar vários orgãos como pele,sistema nervoso, articulações e coração. Objetivo: Caracterizar a infeção por Borrelia num hospital pediátrico terciário. N/A

Toxins are chemical substances of biological origin, and they can be considered chemical or biological warfare agents. Four toxins are included in the list of bioterrorism agents: botulinum toxin (BoNT), saxitocin, ricin, and staphylococcal enterotoxin B. BoNT is included in Category A, while the other 3 are considered Category B. Botulism is a potentially fatal disease caused solely by the action of serologically distinct neurotoxins (BoNT/A, /B, /C, /D, /E, /F/ or /G) that prevent acetylcholine release at neuromuscular junctions, resulting in paralysis. The Emergency Response and Biopreparedness Unit is the Portuguese national reference laboratory for biological events or catastrophes and has skilled professionals, know-how, Biosafety Level (BSL)-3 facilities, capacity to work 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and trained human resources to increase lab capacity in emergency situations. The laboratory diagnosis capacity includes the detection of bacteria, viruses, and toxins that are considered bioterrorism agents, using microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology techniques. Participation in European projects such as EquaTox allowed the upgrade of biosafety procedures and technical skills and the implementation of the best techniques to detect the biological toxins that can be used as biological weapons. N/A

publicado em: E-SOVE 2016 the 20th Conference, Book of Abstract, 3th-7th October 2016, Lisbon - Portugal. doi:10.3920/978-90-8686-837-7, p. 159 N/A

in: 20th European Society for Vector Ecology Conference 2016: book of abstracts, p. 157. doi:10.3920/978-90-8686-837-7 Lyme borreliosis, is a tick-borne disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, that is considered an emerging disease in some regions of the world, namely in Portugal. The aims of this study is the key role of birds and lizards as reservoirs for the etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis in Portugal. FCT, UN, NIH info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

in: 20th European Society for Vector Ecology Conference 2016: book of abstracts, p. 120. doi:10.3920/978-90-8686-837-7 REVIVE (National Network for Vector Surveillance) aims to: i) Monitor the activity of hematophagous arthropods; ii) Characterize the species and its seasonal occurrence; iii) Identify important pathogens in Public Health, depending on the density of the vectors, the level of infection or the introduction of exotic species to alert for control measures. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

As aves selvagens são frequentemente infestadas por carraças e são consideradas reservatório da Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato), um complexo de bactérias transmitidas por carraças, que causam a borreliose de Lyme. De 2010 a 2014 recolhemos 2820 carraças de 690 aves infestadas pertencentes a 40 espécies, e avaliámos a infecção por B. burgdorferi s.l. por nested PCR nestas carraças. Oito espécies de carraças foram identificadas, sendo, Ixodes frontalis (37%) e I. ricinus (34%) as espécies mais comuns. O Melro (Turdus merula) e o Pisco-de-peito-ruivo (Erithacus rubecula) foram as espécies mais infestadas, possivelmente devido aos seus hábitos de pesquisa de alimento a níveis mais baixos. Carraças do género Ixodes sp. infectadas com Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. foram recolhidas de Tentilhões (Fringilla coelebs), Chapins-reais (Parus major), Toutinegras-dosvalados (Sylvia melanocephala), Carriças (Troglodytes troglodytes), Tordos-ruivos (Turdus iliacus), Melros (T. merula) e Tordos-pintos (Turdus philomelos), com maior prevalência em carraças provenientes de T. philomelos (26%). Detectámos B. turdi (4,4%), B. valaisiana (3,7%), B. garinii (3,3%), B. miyamotoi (0,06%) e B. bissettii (0,06%) em Ixodes sp. recolhidas das aves. A caracterização genética das linhagens de B. turdi sugere divergência filogenética da linhagem originalmente detectada no Japão. Uma experiência de xenodiagnóstico provou a capacidade reservatório de T. merula para B. valaisiana e B. turdi. Estes resultados reforçam o papel das aves como agentes chave na manutenção de diferentes genoespécies do complexo B. burgdorferi s.l. Wild birds are often infested by ticks and considered reservoirs of the tick-transmitted bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato), the etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis. In 2010-2014 we collected 2820 ticks from 690 infested birds of 40 species in Portugal, and assessed their B. burgdorferi s.l. infection by nested PCR. Eight tick species were identified, and, Ixodes frontalis (37%) and I. ricinus (34%) were the most common. Blackbird (Turdus merula) and Robin (Erithacus rubecula) were the most infested species, possibly due to their ground foraging behaviour. Infected Ixodes sp. were collected from Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), Great Tit (Parus major) Sardinian Wabler (Sylvia melanocephala), Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Redwing (Turdus iliacus), T. merula and Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos), with higher prevalence in ticks from T. philomelos (26%). We detected B. turdi (4.4%), B. valaisiana (3.7%), B. garinii (3.3%), B. miyamotoi (0.06%) and B. bissettii (0.06%) in Ixodes sp. collected from birds. The genetic characterization of B. turdi strains suggests their phylogenetic divergence from the strain originally detected in Japan. A xenodiagnostic experiment proved the reservoir competency of T. merula for B. valaisiana and B. turdi. These results strengthen the role of birds as key agents for the maintenance of different genospecies of the B. burgdorferi complex. Este trabalho foi financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (UID/MULTI/04046/2013 e SFRH/BPD/62898/2009). N/A

REVIVE is a national wide surveillance program on vector and vector-borne agents implement and coordinate by the National Institute of Health (CEVDI/INSA) in collaboration with other institutions of the Health Ministry. The programme started in 2008 with the surveillance of mosquitoes and later in 2011 was extended to ticks. The main goals of this project are to collect and identify vectors, updating our knowledge in the distribution, hostassociations, seasonality and abundance of the Portuguese species. Additionally this project contributes for monitoring the introduction of exotic vector species. This work regards the 4-year REVIVE studies on ticks and Borrelia/Rickettsia surveillance, among other tick-borne agents, discussing the established circuits, obtained results and practical interventions. Over 29.000 ticks were collected on hosts or by flagging vegetation from 168 (60.4%) municipalities of mainland Portugal. Collection in humans reached the 583 specimens. In total, 13 autochthonous tick species were identified, including Dermacentor marginatus; D. reticulatus; Haemaphysalis punctata; Hyalomma lusitanicum; H. marginatum; Ixodes canisuga; I. hexagonus; I. ricinus; I. ventalloi; Rhipicephalus annulatus; R. bursa; R. pusillus; R. sanguineus. Of note is the identification of an exotic species, Amblyomma sp., attached to a Portuguese emigrant arriving from USA. The top three species collected during this surveillance program were R. sanguineus (69%), followed by R. pusillus (16.4%) and H. marginatum (9.7%). However regarding antropofilic behaviour, from the 11 species found in humans the most prevalent were I. ricinus (35%), followed by R. sanguineus (34%), and H. marginatum (14%). The abundance, distribution, host association and other relevant patterns are compared with previous existing records. Regarding the tick-borne agents, all ticks collected from humans and about 10% of the questing/host-attached ticks were tested for Borrelia and Rickettsia spp., among other agents. Ten bacteria were identified so far in single or multiple infection, including Borrelia afzelii, B. garinii, B. lusitaniae, Rickettsia aeschlimannii, R. conorii, R. helvetica, R. massiliae, R. monacensis, R. raoulti, and R. slovaca. The importance of including other tick-borne agents in routine screening is also discussed. The presented data reinforces the importance of the REVIVE. The program has contributed to call attention to tick-borne diseases not only among healthcare providers but also in the populations. The workflow established, has also enabled timely screeningof ticks removed from humans, animals or in a given environment, allowing the implementation of informed prevention/control strategies and directly contributing to improve Public Health in Portugal. Coxiella and Anaplasma testing was performed on behalf of the FCT project PTDC/SAUSAP/115266/2009

Objectives: To assess the risk posed by ticks and tick-borne pathogens to Public Health is essential to have reliable data on tick population, namely main species, status, distribution and the changing trends in tick distribution and abundance. Since 2011 the Ministry of Health requested the National Institute of Health to implement and coordinate a national surveillance programme for ticks and tick-borne diseases. Methods: During 2012 and 2013, ticks were collected from hosts and on the vegetation by flagging method. Results: Through the engagement of several health agencies, more than > 18 000 ticks from 119 municipalities across mainland Portugal have been submitted, representing 13 tick species Dermacentor marginatus; D. reticulatus; Haemaphysalis punctata; Hyalomma lusitanicum; H. marginatum; Ixodes canisuga; I. hexagonus; I. ricinus; I. ventalloi; Rhipicephalus annulatus; R. bursa; R. pusillus and R. sanguineus. The majority of ticks sent to the laboratory were R. sanguineus (69%), followed by R. pusillus (16.4%) and H. marginatum (9.7%). The other tick species were collected in occasionally, such as I. ricinus with only 0.3%. Two hundred and thirty three ticks were collected on humans and R. sanguineus was the most frequent (41%) followed by I. ricinus (20%). All the human ticks and about 5% of the ticks collected from vegetation or in hosts were analyzed for the presence of Borrelia spp and Rickettsia spp. B. lusitaniae and seven rickettsial species were detected, R. aeschlimannii, R. conorii Malish, R. helvetica, R. massilae, R. raoulti and R. slovaca. Some ticks species was found only infected with a bacterial agent, as for example H. marginatum with R. aeschlimannii, and D. reticulatus with R. slovaca, when others as R. sanguineus and I. ricinus were infected with three different agents (R. conorii Malish, R. massilae and B. lusitaniae and R. helvetica, R. monacensis, B. lusitaniae, respectively). Due to the high density of Hyalomma spp. present in Portugal and the recent detection of crimean congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHF) in Spain, the surveillance of this virus is being implemented during this year. Conclusions: REVIVE program has already produced valuable results and will be maintained for at least the next three years that will allow to observe the trends in the Portuguese tick fauna and pathogens. Another important output of this network is to raise awareness about tick-borne diseases among the populations and the healthcare providers as medical doctors and nurses. Keywords: surveillance programme, ticks, tick-borne diseases

Borrelia lusitaniae is a pathogen frequent in the Mediterranean area. Apart from lizards, evidence for birds and small mammals as competent reservoirs for this genospecies has been occasional. We collected questing ticks, skin biopsies and Ixodes sp. ticks feeding on lizards, birds and small mammals in a B. burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato) enzootic area to assess their importance in the maintenance of B. lusitaniae. Borrelia lusitaniae was the most prevalent genospecies in questing ticks and was commonly found in larvae feeding on Psammodromus algirus. One biopsy infected with B. lusitaniae was collected from the tail of one Podarcis hispanica, which suggests systemic infection. Ixodes ricinus larvae feeding on Apodemus sylvaticus were infected with B. lusitaniae but with a lower prevalence. Our results reinforce the importance of lizards as reservoirs for B. lusitaniae, suggesting that P. algirus, in particular, acts as main reservoir for B. lusitaniae in Portugal. This study was financially supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/62898/2009) and INSA/DDI project.

To confirm that thrushes, such as blackbirds Turdus merula, play a role as reservoir for some Borrelia genospecies, we performed a xenodiagnostic experiment with blackbirds captured in a mixed wood located in Western Portugal where Borrelia turdi, an uncommon genospecies in Europe, was the most prevalent genospecies associated with birds. Two out of five birds harboured B. turdi infected Ixodes frontalis at the time of capture. Four out of five birds transmitted spirochaetes to Ixodes ricinus xenodiagnostic ticks: two birds transmitted Borrelia valaisiana to 25.7% and 10.5% of ticks, and two transmitted B. turdi to 6.4% and 5.4% of ticks. Our results showed that blackbirds transmit B. valaisiana and B. turdi to I. ricinus feeding larvae, acting as reservoir hosts for these genospecies in nature.

publicado em: Abstract Book: International Symposium on Francisella Tularensis and Tularemia, June 19-22, 2013: 29

Birds as reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in Western Europe: circulation of B. turdi and other genospecies in bird-tick cycles in Portugal. Norte AC, Ramos JA, Gern L, Núncio MS, Lopes de Carvalho I. SourceInstitute of Marine Research IMAR/CMA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401 Coimbra, Portugal. Center for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal. Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Abstract Birds are important in the ecology of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) because they are important hosts for vector tick immature stages and are known reservoirs for some Borrelia genospecies. The aim of our study was to assess the role of common passerine bird species as reservoirs for B. burgdorferi s.l. in Western Europe. We surveyed birds in enzootic areas in Portugal, where no information is available for birds as reservoirs for this aetiologic agent and where B. lusitaniae, for which few reservoirs have been identified, is the dominant genospecies. Twenty-three birds (2.9%), including Turdus merula, T. philomelos, Parus major and Fringilla coelebs harboured infected ticks, but only Turdus sp. harboured infected tick larvae. In one study area, although B. lusitaniae was dominant in questing Ixodes ricinus, no ticks feeding on birds were infected with this genospecies, and B. valaisiana was the dominant genospecies in I. ricinus larvae feeding on birds. In the other area ticks collected from birds were mainly I. frontalis which were infected with B. turdi. Two skin biopsies (4.2%) from two T. merula were positive, one for B. valaisiana and the other for B. turdi. This is the first report for B. turdi in Western Europe. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd. PMID:22882497[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:42:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 1979-01-01 The authors studied the effects of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) and of continuous positive pressure ventilation (CPPV) on the renal function of 18 mongrel dogs. The animals were separated into three groups: Group II - Normocapnia - PaCO2 = 38 mmHg; Group I - Hypocapnia - PaCo2 = 25 mmHg; Group III - Hypercapnia - PaCo2 = 65 mmHg. In all the animals the extracellular volume was expanded with saline solution. The measurements were made during IPPV (moment zero), CPPV of 5 cm H2O (moment 5) and CPPV of 10 cm H2O (moment 10). Based on the results, the authors concluded that renal function tests were normal in Group II. The same didn't happen in groups I and III, which showed renal function modifications, attributed to the hemodynamic changes produced by VPPC. Dept. Anestesiol., Fac. Med., Campus de Botucatu - UNESP, Sao Paulo