Quality over quantity in active tick surveillance: Sentinel surveillance outperforms risk-based surveillance for tracking tick-borne disease emergence in southern Canada
CONCLUSION: Where surveillance aims to document changes in tick-borne disease risk over time and space, we suggest that repeated sampling of carefully selected field sites may be most effective, while risk-based surveillance may be more usefully applied to confirm the presence of emerging disease risk in a specific region of interest or to identify suitable sites for long-term monitoring as LD and other tick-borne diseases continue to emerge.PMID:38090724 | PMC:PMC10715827 (Source: Can Commun Dis Rep)
Source: Can Commun Dis Rep - December 13, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Camille Guillot Catherine Bouchard Kayla Buhler Roxane Pelletier Fran çois Milord Patrick Leighton Source Type: research

Prospective incidence epidemiology study protocol: conducting active surveillance to assess the burden of Lyme disease (BOLD) in primary care practices in endemic areas of six European countries
This study will inform the phase III efficacy study for Pfizer and Valneva’s investigational Lyme disease vaccine, VLA15. VLA15 phase III will be conducted in the USA and Europe due to the vaccine’s serotype coverage and public health burden of LD. In Europe, the existence and location of sites that have access to populations with high LD annual incidence is uncertain. This active, prospective surveillance study assesses annual LD incidence at general practice (GP)/primary care sites, allowing for phase III site vetting and better characterisation of LD burden in selected regions for study size calculations. M...
Source: BMJ Open - December 10, 2023 Category: General Medicine Authors: Begier, E., Pilz, A., Loew-Baselli, A., Harper, L. R., Stark, J. H., Bowdery, M., Halsby, K., Dzingina, M., Bezay, N., Allen, K. E., Parslow, B., Gessner, B. D. Tags: Open access, Public health Source Type: research

In silico epitope prediction of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antigens for the detection of specific antibodies
In this study, in silico B-cell epitope mapping was performed to determine the theoretical diagnostic potential of selected B. burgdorferi s.l. proteins (BB0108, BB0126, BB0298, BB0689, BB0323, FliL, PstS, SecD, EF-Tu). Bioinformatics software predicted 35 conserved linear and 30 conformational epitopes with the degree of identity among B. burgdorferi s.l. of at least 85%, which may prove to be useful in the development of a new tool for the diagnosis of Lyme disease.PMID:38070727 | DOI:10.1016/j.jim.2023.113596 (Source: Journal of Immunological Methods)
Source: Journal of Immunological Methods - December 9, 2023 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Weronika Gr ąźlewska Karolina So łowińska Lucyna Holec-G ąsior Source Type: research

In silico epitope prediction of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antigens for the detection of specific antibodies
In this study, in silico B-cell epitope mapping was performed to determine the theoretical diagnostic potential of selected B. burgdorferi s.l. proteins (BB0108, BB0126, BB0298, BB0689, BB0323, FliL, PstS, SecD, EF-Tu). Bioinformatics software predicted 35 conserved linear and 30 conformational epitopes with the degree of identity among B. burgdorferi s.l. of at least 85%, which may prove to be useful in the development of a new tool for the diagnosis of Lyme disease.PMID:38070727 | DOI:10.1016/j.jim.2023.113596 (Source: Journal of Immunological Methods)
Source: Journal of Immunological Methods - December 9, 2023 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Weronika Gr ąźlewska Karolina So łowińska Lucyna Holec-G ąsior Source Type: research

In silico epitope prediction of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antigens for the detection of specific antibodies
In this study, in silico B-cell epitope mapping was performed to determine the theoretical diagnostic potential of selected B. burgdorferi s.l. proteins (BB0108, BB0126, BB0298, BB0689, BB0323, FliL, PstS, SecD, EF-Tu). Bioinformatics software predicted 35 conserved linear and 30 conformational epitopes with the degree of identity among B. burgdorferi s.l. of at least 85%, which may prove to be useful in the development of a new tool for the diagnosis of Lyme disease.PMID:38070727 | DOI:10.1016/j.jim.2023.113596 (Source: Journal of Immunological Methods)
Source: Journal of Immunological Methods - December 9, 2023 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Weronika Gr ąźlewska Karolina So łowińska Lucyna Holec-G ąsior Source Type: research

Cellular and transcriptome signatures unveiled by single-cell RNA-Seq following ex vivo infection of murine splenocytes with Borrelia burgdorferi
In this study, we used single-cell RNA-Seq analysis in conjunction with mouse genomics exploiting GFP-expressing Bb to sort GFP+ splenocytes and GFP− bystander cells to uncover novel molecular and cellular signatures that contribute to early stages of immune responses against Bb.ResultsThese data decoded the heterogeneity of splenic neutrophils, macrophages, NK cells, B cells, and T cells in C3H/HeN mice in response to Bb infection. Increased mRNA abundance of apoptosis-related genes was observed in neutrophils and macrophages clustered from GFP+ splenocytes. Moreover, complement-mediated phagocytosis-related genes such ...
Source: Frontiers in Immunology - December 8, 2023 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research

Determinants of persistent symptoms after treatment for Lyme borreliosis: a prospective observational cohort study
EBioMedicine. 2023 Oct 13:104825. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104825. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Patients treated for Lyme borreliosis (LB) frequently report persistent symptoms. Little is known about risk factors and etiology.METHODS: In a prospective observational cohort study with a follow-up of one year, we assessed a range of microbiological, immunological, genetic, clinical, functional, epidemiological, psychosocial and cognitive-behavioral variables as determinants of persistent symptoms after treatment for LB. Between 2015 and 2018 we included 1135 physician-confirmed LB patients at initiation of antib...
Source: Pain Physician - November 28, 2023 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Hedwig D Vrijmoeth Jeanine Ursinus Margriet G Harms Anna D Tulen M E Baarsma Freek R van de Schoor Stefanie A Gauw Tizza P Zomer Yolande M Vermeeren Jos é A Ferreira Hein Sprong Kristin Kremer Hans Knoop Leo A B Joosten Bart Jan Kullberg Joppe W Hovius C Source Type: research

Vector-Borne Disease in Wild Mammals Impacted by Urban Expansion and Climate Change
AbstractEcologies of zoonotic vector-borne diseases may shift with climate and land use change. As many urban-adapted mammals can host ectoparasites and pathogens of human and animal health concern, our goal was to compare patterns of arthropod-borne disease among medium-sized mammals across gradients of rural to urban landscapes in multiple regions of California. DNA ofAnaplasma phagocytophilum was found in 1 –5% of raccoons, coyotes, and San Joaquin kit foxes;Borrelia burgdorferi in one coyote, rickettsiae in two desert kit foxes, andYersinia pestis in two coyotes. There was serological evidence of rickettsiae in 14 â€...
Source: EcoHealth - November 28, 2023 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research

Superior efficacy of combination antibiotic therapy versus monotherapy in a mouse model of Lyme disease
Lyme disease (LD) results from the most prevalent tick-borne infection in North America, with over 476,000 estimated cases annually. The disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) sensu lato which transmits through the bite of Ixodid ticks. Most cases treated soon after infection are resolved by a short course of oral antibiotics. However, 10–20% of patients experience chronic symptoms because of delayed or incomplete treatment, a condition called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). Some Bb persists in PTLD patients after the initial course of antibiotics and an effective treatment to eradicate the persistent Bb is n...
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology - November 21, 2023 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Wearable Devices: Implications for Precision Medicine and the Future of Health Care
Annu Rev Med. 2023 Nov 20. doi: 10.1146/annurev-med-052422-020437. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTWearable devices are integrated analytical units equipped with sensitive physical, chemical, and biological sensors capable of noninvasive and continuous monitoring of vital physiological parameters. Recent advances in disciplines including electronics, computation, and material science have resulted in affordable and highly sensitive wearable devices that are routinely used for tracking and managing health and well-being. Combined with longitudinal monitoring of physiological parameters, wearables are poised to transform the e...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - November 20, 2023 Category: General Medicine Authors: Mohan Babu Ziv Lautman Xiangping Lin Milan H B Sobota Michael P Snyder Source Type: research

Fulminating Lymphocytic Myocarditis and Its Mimics
The report of a case of fulminating lymphocytic myocarditis clinically mimicking giant cell myocarditis1 stands in marked contrast with the report of a case where giant cell myocarditis had been mistaken for Lyme disease-related lymphocytic myocarditis.2 The patient presented with ventricular tachycardia and subsequently experienced profound reduction in left ventricular systolic function. Endomyocardial biopsy showed marked myocyte necrosis, diffuse lymphocytic infiltrate, and fibrosis, all 3 features believed, at the time, to be attributable to Lyme myocarditis, given the fact that she lived in an area with high prevalen...
Source: The American Journal of Medicine - November 17, 2023 Category: General Medicine Authors: Oscar M.P. Jolobe Tags: Letter Source Type: research