[Detection of co-infection with Lyme spirochetes and Spotted fever group rickettsiae in a group of Haemaphysalis longicornis].

OBJECTIVE

The present study was conducted to investigate the infection of Lyme disease, Spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis (anaplasmosisin) in wild animals and ticks in the mountain areas of Zhejiang province.

METHODS

Nested polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify specific DNA sequences of Lyme spirochetes, Spotted fever group rickettsiae, Ehrlichia(anaplasma) from samples of mice and ticks.

RESULTS

14 positive samples were identified from 121 mice and 105 groups of ticks. Among mice samples, one positive 5S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer of Borrelia burgdorferi and two 5' fragments of Ehrlichia (anaplasma) 16S rDNA were obtained. 11 positive results were detected from tick samples including three 5S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer regions of Borrelia burgdorferi and eight 5' fragments of Spotted fever group rickettsiae outer member protein A gene. One group of adult ticks, Haemaphysalis longicornis, which had been collected from eastern mountain area were detected to have co-infected with Lyme spirochetes and Spotted fever group rickettsiae. The positive sequences of 5S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer and ompA gene were tested and analyzed as Lyme spirochetes while rickettsia which was closely related to Borrelia valaisiana and R. massiliae.

CONCLUSION

This was the first report about co-infection of Lyme spirochetes and Spotted fever group rickettsiae found in the same group of adult Haemaphysalis longicornis. It is very important to strengthen the surveillance program on tick-borne infectious disease and their pathogenic in vectors, wild animals and targeted high risk groups and to differentiate the clinical manifestation and diagnosis to extend the knowledge of tick-borne infectious diseases in Zhejiang.