Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) is the etiological agent of Lyme disease, transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes La-treille. Diagnosis of Lyme disease in humans is often difficult and a detailed knowledge of the circulation of B. burgdorferi s.l. in tick hosts is therefore fundamental to support clinical procedures. Here we developed a molecular approach for the detection of B. burgdor-feri s.l. in North Italian Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus). The method is based on the amplification of a fragment of the groEL gene, which encodes a heat-shock protein highly conserved among B. burgdorferi s.l. species. The tool was applied in both qualitative and Real-time PCR approaches testing ticks collected in a North Italian area. The obtained results suggest that this new molecular tool could represent a sensitive and specific method for epidemiological studies aimed at defining the distribution of B. burgdorferi s.l. in I. ricinus and, consequently, the exposure risk for humans.

Development of a PCR for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, targeted on the groEL gene / G. Chiappa, A. Cafiso, E. Monza, V. Serra, E. Olivieri, C.R. Romeo, C. Bazzocchi. - In: FOLIA PARASITOLOGICA. - ISSN 1803-6465. - 67(2020 Oct), pp. 026.1-026.5. [10.14411/fp.2020.026]

Development of a PCR for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, targeted on the groEL gene

G. Chiappa
Primo
;
A. Cafiso
Secondo
;
V. Serra;C.R. Romeo
Penultimo
;
C. Bazzocchi
Ultimo
2020

Abstract

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) is the etiological agent of Lyme disease, transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes La-treille. Diagnosis of Lyme disease in humans is often difficult and a detailed knowledge of the circulation of B. burgdorferi s.l. in tick hosts is therefore fundamental to support clinical procedures. Here we developed a molecular approach for the detection of B. burgdor-feri s.l. in North Italian Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus). The method is based on the amplification of a fragment of the groEL gene, which encodes a heat-shock protein highly conserved among B. burgdorferi s.l. species. The tool was applied in both qualitative and Real-time PCR approaches testing ticks collected in a North Italian area. The obtained results suggest that this new molecular tool could represent a sensitive and specific method for epidemiological studies aimed at defining the distribution of B. burgdorferi s.l. in I. ricinus and, consequently, the exposure risk for humans.
Lyme diseases Ixodes ricinus; qualitative PCR; detection; Real-time PCR
Settore VET/06 - Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie degli Animali
ott-2020
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/775900
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