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Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes ricinus ticks from different areas of Poland
Zent.bl. Bakteriol. 28915-6, 704-705 (1999) © Urban & Fischer Verlag http://www.urbanfischer.de/j oumalsl zbl bakteriol
Zentralblatt fUr
Extended Summary
Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes ricinus Ticks from Different Areas of Poland Joanna Stanczak and Beate Kubica-Biernat Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland
In Poland, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the aetiologic agent of Lyme dis ease, was detected for the first time in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in the Olsztyn province in 1993 by Wegner et al. 1993/1994. Thereafter, spiro chaete-infected ticks were observed in at least 20 out of 49 provinces through out the whole country. Most extensive and detailed studies, however, were carried out in north-eastern Poland in 1993-1996. A total of 17469 nymphal and adult I. ricinus collected in 81 different sites were individually examined for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. Spirochaetes were found in: 6.5-10.3 %, 11.5 % and 8.8 % of ticks originating from the Gdansk, Olsztyn and Bialystok provinces, respectively by Wegner et al. 1993/94, 1997a, 1997b. In western Pomerania, in the Szczecin province, altogether 1,016 I. ricinus were tested in 3 different studies [Humiczewska-Rajska et al. (1997) (n = 333), Skotarczak et al. (1997) (n = 533) and Sinski et al. (1997) (n = 150)]. Tick infection rates estimated ranged from 7.3 %-14.6 %. On the other hand, in southern Poland extensive investigations were conducted only in the Katowice and Krakow provinces. In each province, more than 500 ticks were examined and 9.9-37.5 % and 18.3-19.2 % of them, respectively, were infected with B. burgdorferi (Pet'ko et al. 1997, Sinski et al. 1994, Stanczak et al. 1997, unpublished data). Data from the other 14 provinces are rather inadequate as they concern small numbers of ticks (n = 18-318), usually collected only in a few sites. In the northern provinces, Koszalin, Elblag, and Suwalki, the percentage of in fected ticks ranged from 1.3 to 14 %. In the western provinces, such as Groz ow, Pila, Poznan, Konin, 11.5 -46.4 % of the examined ticks contained bor reliae. In the south, in the Czestochowa province, the percentage of infected 1. ricinus was 25.2 %. From ticks collected in south-eastern Poland, in the Krosno, Tarnow, Zamosc and Lublin provinces, 3.6-25 % harboured spiro0934-8840199/28915-7-704 $12.0010
Prevalence of B.b. in 1. ricinus in Poland
705
chaetes, whereas 22.2-23.7 % of those from the central provinces Radom and Warszawa (Humiczewska-Rajska et al. 1997, Jenek and Glazaczow 1996, Je nek and Siuda 1997, Pet'ko et al. 1997, Sinski et al. 1994, Sinski and Rijkpe ma 1997, Sinski et al. 1997, Skotarczak et al. 1997, Stanczak et al. 1996, 1997, unpublished data, Tylewska- Wierzbanowska et al. 1996). As regards the different life stages of ticks, the overall mean infection rates was higher in adults (11.4 % in males and 14.5 % in females) than in nymphs (6.8%). In Europe, at least 5 genospecies of B. burgdorferi s.l. have been described up to now: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana and B. lusitaniae (the two latter from the former groups VS116 and Poti-B2, re spectively). In Poland, all but the last one were detected both in isolates from ticks and in ticks collected in northern, north eastern and central Poland (Stanczak et al. 1996, Sinski et al. 1997, Sinski and Rijpkema 1997). The list of references is available from the author. Key words: Borrelia burgdorferi, prevalence, ticks, Poland Corresponding author: Dr. Joanna Stanczak, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Me dicine, Gdynia, Poland
Zentralblatt fUr
Extended Summary
Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes ricinus Ticks from Different Areas of Poland Joanna Stanczak and Beate Kubica-Biernat Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland
In Poland, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the aetiologic agent of Lyme dis ease, was detected for the first time in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in the Olsztyn province in 1993 by Wegner et al. 1993/1994. Thereafter, spiro chaete-infected ticks were observed in at least 20 out of 49 provinces through out the whole country. Most extensive and detailed studies, however, were carried out in north-eastern Poland in 1993-1996. A total of 17469 nymphal and adult I. ricinus collected in 81 different sites were individually examined for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. Spirochaetes were found in: 6.5-10.3 %, 11.5 % and 8.8 % of ticks originating from the Gdansk, Olsztyn and Bialystok provinces, respectively by Wegner et al. 1993/94, 1997a, 1997b. In western Pomerania, in the Szczecin province, altogether 1,016 I. ricinus were tested in 3 different studies [Humiczewska-Rajska et al. (1997) (n = 333), Skotarczak et al. (1997) (n = 533) and Sinski et al. (1997) (n = 150)]. Tick infection rates estimated ranged from 7.3 %-14.6 %. On the other hand, in southern Poland extensive investigations were conducted only in the Katowice and Krakow provinces. In each province, more than 500 ticks were examined and 9.9-37.5 % and 18.3-19.2 % of them, respectively, were infected with B. burgdorferi (Pet'ko et al. 1997, Sinski et al. 1994, Stanczak et al. 1997, unpublished data). Data from the other 14 provinces are rather inadequate as they concern small numbers of ticks (n = 18-318), usually collected only in a few sites. In the northern provinces, Koszalin, Elblag, and Suwalki, the percentage of in fected ticks ranged from 1.3 to 14 %. In the western provinces, such as Groz ow, Pila, Poznan, Konin, 11.5 -46.4 % of the examined ticks contained bor reliae. In the south, in the Czestochowa province, the percentage of infected 1. ricinus was 25.2 %. From ticks collected in south-eastern Poland, in the Krosno, Tarnow, Zamosc and Lublin provinces, 3.6-25 % harboured spiro0934-8840199/28915-7-704 $12.0010
Prevalence of B.b. in 1. ricinus in Poland
705
chaetes, whereas 22.2-23.7 % of those from the central provinces Radom and Warszawa (Humiczewska-Rajska et al. 1997, Jenek and Glazaczow 1996, Je nek and Siuda 1997, Pet'ko et al. 1997, Sinski et al. 1994, Sinski and Rijkpe ma 1997, Sinski et al. 1997, Skotarczak et al. 1997, Stanczak et al. 1996, 1997, unpublished data, Tylewska- Wierzbanowska et al. 1996). As regards the different life stages of ticks, the overall mean infection rates was higher in adults (11.4 % in males and 14.5 % in females) than in nymphs (6.8%). In Europe, at least 5 genospecies of B. burgdorferi s.l. have been described up to now: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana and B. lusitaniae (the two latter from the former groups VS116 and Poti-B2, re spectively). In Poland, all but the last one were detected both in isolates from ticks and in ticks collected in northern, north eastern and central Poland (Stanczak et al. 1996, Sinski et al. 1997, Sinski and Rijpkema 1997). The list of references is available from the author. Key words: Borrelia burgdorferi, prevalence, ticks, Poland Corresponding author: Dr. Joanna Stanczak, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Me dicine, Gdynia, Poland