PUUKIDE ASUSTUSTIHEDUS, BORRELIA BURGDORFERI SENSU LATO KANDVUS JA ERINEVATE GENOTÜÜPIDE ESINDATUS PÄRNU- JA VALGAMAA PUUKIDE SEAS
Ticks density, prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and different genotypes in ticks collected in Pärnu and Valga counties in Estonia
Maarja Ader, Eerik Jõgi MSc Abstract Lyme borreliosis is caused by the bacteria which belong to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l) complex. In Estonia Lyme borreliosis vectors for humans are Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus. B. burgdorferi s.l is transmitted to humans through tick salivary secretion, faeces or regurgitation during the tick feeding process. The number of Lyme borreliosis cases is growing in Estonia. The aim of this study was to identify the density, prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l and prevalence of different genotypes amongst the ticks in Pärnu and Valga counties because these are the main tick-dependent factors that influence human probability to get infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. This empirical research study is part of the applied research study titled “Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and different genotypes of ticks in different counties in Estonia from 2013 to 2015”. For this study 227 ticks were collected in Pärnu and Valga counties, from three nature biotopes (meadows, pine forests and deciduous forests) that are common to Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus. Ticks were collected with the flagging method from June to August 2013. To make sure the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l, the nested-PCR method was used, and the samples which were positive to B. burgdorferi s.l DNA, were sequenced in order to determine their specific genotype.
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